Vols Remain in the Mix for Coveted DB Target Ryan Barnes
Offers started coming in for 2021 DB Ryan Barnes in November, and Tennessee was the first school to jump in the mix. Since then, Barnes has added 32 more Division 1 offers, and continues to have major schools recruiting him.
Barnes had to cut the field down earlier this week, and he did just that. He cut his list to 15, which is still a considerable amount, but when your recruitment takes off that late it remains a challenge to cut your list.
Tennessee made the cut for Barnes, and the Vols are expected to remain one of the factors in this recruitment for the long-haul. The full list is featured below.
In an interview with VR2 in March, Barnes said of his Tennessee visit just prior to the shutdown, "I met with academic support to see how it is being a student athlete at Tennessee. I learned more about the strength & conditioning program as well. I sat in on a defense team meeting too. Most visits are basically the same but being that this was my second visit, it was a clearer experience.”
He added on meeting with the coaches, "I spoke to Coach Osovet & Coach Ansley mostly & they talked about how I fit there as a student athlete. Also they talked about the family atmosphere at Tennessee. Coach Pruitt talked about expectations & how excited he was to see me there to watch practice & to be there for another visit to campus. I was supposed to be there for a second day but it was canceled due to suspension of activities.”
At the time, Barnes was planning to make a summer decision, but now only time will tell if he can stick to that timeline. Tennessee was once right at the top of this recruitment with Clemson, but now, both schools appear to be trailing Notre Dame. We will see if the Vols can make a move for another coveted prospect from Maryland.